North Korean Black-listed Ships in Russia
North Korean vessels owned by Ocean Maritime Management (OMM) have been seen using Russian ports, says the NK News vessel tracker.
OMM was sanctioned for its involvement in smuggling weapons through the Panama Canal in 2013.
While the vessel was seen visiting the Russian port of Vanino in early July, data from Marine Traffic and ship inspection records indicate the sanctioned Hui Chon (formerly the Hwan Gum San 2) is now a regular visitor to ports in the Russian far east.
The Hui Chon was inspected six times in two different Russian ports since early July. Port inspections are usually to ascertain if a vessel is meeting safety and environmental standards.
Earlier this month, the M/V Kang Gye was seen transiting back to North Korea after calling Port Nakhodka in Russia.
OMM has also been under U.N. and U.S. sanctions since 2014, and the U.S. Department of Treasury alleges that OMM operates through a variety of front companies to evade those sanctions.
Treasury’s sanctions also included the vessels IMO numbers, a unique identifier that does not change throughout the life of the ship.